Coastline works to suffer over funds shortfall

RAMPANT erosion along several areas of Kerry’s coastline is set to continue unchecked in 2011 as the council has said it will spend no further money on such work until it receives €3 million it is owed by state agencies for work already carried out.

A total of €9m has been spent in recent years on emergency coastal protection works at Inch, in the Dingle Peninsula, and pier development works at Knightstown, Valentia. There are also problems at Rossbeigh Beach, where the sea broke through sand dunes creating an island more than two years ago, but there are no funds for this.

County manager Tom Curran said it could not commit to any further developments on coastal protection or fisheries infrastructure until it had been reimbursed for various projects.